El Niño vs. Your Garage Door: Preparing for Northern California’s Wettest Storms

Many homeowners spend a considerable amount of time and effort on storm preparation for their garage doors – especially in Northern California, where El Niño brings torrential rain. This guide covers what you’re up against and some helpful tips to keep in mind when severe weather is coming.

Understanding El Niño

El Niño and its sister event, La Niña, are patterns in the Pacific Ocean that affect climate systems throughout America and the world. During an El Niño cycle, the Pacific jet stream migrates farther south and east, resulting in wetter-than-usual conditions throughout the Southern United States.

As studies from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have shown that the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is rapidly increasing, homeowners can likely expect a steady growth in the intensity of rainy seasons they experience. As a result, garage door prep for El Niño events is more important than ever before.

Storm Preparation for Your Garage

While you can’t prevent storms, you can take some steps to mitigate the results and keep your garage safe.

Select the Right Door

El Niño doesn’t just mean more rain. It can also result in stronger, heavier winds. If you’re replacing your door, it’s best to invest in one designed to resist them. Many Clopay^® products are available with WindCode^® door reinforcement for added protection and peace of mind.

You might also want to opt for a door material that’s reasonably corrosion-resistant and moisture-resistant, like aluminum or steel.

Waterproof Your Garage Door

Flood prevention starts with your garage door. If it’s older, the weatherstripping may not be as effective at keeping water out when the rain gets heavy. You can waterproof your garage door by sealing the areas around and beneath it. You may also want to keep sandbags on hand.

Invest in Backup Power and Manual Operation

Whether you’re facing a hurricane or El Niño, losing access to power is a risk during storms. If you want to avoid being trapped at home, it’s a good idea to invest in surge protection and backup power for your garage door opener. In case the backup power runs out, it’s also important to make sure you can manually operate your garage door.

Keep up With Professional Door Maintenance

Even the best garage door is only as good as the care it receives. Through planned maintenance and tuneups, a professional technician can check lubricant levels and identify potential problems to fix before they call for larger repairs. This approach will help ensure your door is ready for anything the weather throws its way.

Partner With the Professionals for El Niño Garage Door Prep

Now that you have a basic idea of what storm preparation for your garage entails, consider investing in a tuneup from local experts who understand the climate. Contact Door Pros today to request a service. Want to replace an aging garage door before the next rainy season? We can help – get started with an estimate.